Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A computer-implemented method of processing third-party online coupons, the method comprising: obtaining, with one or more computers, more than a plurality of third-party online coupons; parsing text to determine merchants' web sites; detecting coupon-code input text boxes of checkout pages of at least some of the merchants' websites by: looking up previously specified characterizations of paths through respective merchants' websites in response to navigating to respective merchants' web sites; detecting checkout pages by, for each of a plurality of webpages of respective merchants' websites, determining whether respective webpages are checkout pages based on the previously specified characterization of paths through the respective merchants' websites; and detecting coupon-code input text boxes in the checkout pages by, for each of a plurality of elements of document object models of respective checkout pages, determining whether elements are coupon-code input text boxes based on proximity to other elements of the document object models; parsing at least some of the third-party online coupons to determine product terms, wherein determining product terms comprises: obtaining a plurality of terms describing a first coupon among the plurality of third-party online coupons, selecting a subset of the plurality of terms, and determining which terms of the subset of plurality of terms occur in a database of brands; searching, with one or more computers, for the product terms; using the coupon-code input text boxes, automatically testing, with one or more computers, the third-party online coupons with products associated with the product terms and identified in response to searching for the product terms, wherein: different coupon-testing computer-processes are configured to test at least some of the different subsets concurrent with the other coupon-testing computer-processes by requesting at least some of the merchants' websites to apply at least some of the third-party coupons to at least some of the products, and at least some third-party coupons are each separately tested against multiple products on a given merchant's web site; and determining, with one or more computers, whether the third-party online coupons apply to at least some of the products based on responses from the merchants' websites and storing at least some results in memory.
This invention relates to e-commerce and specifically to the automated application of online coupons. The problem addressed is the manual effort and potential for missed savings when consumers try to find and apply third-party online coupons to their purchases. The method involves obtaining a collection of third-party online coupons. It then automatically identifies merchants' websites by parsing text. For each merchant, the system navigates their website, using pre-defined path characterizations to locate checkout pages. Within these checkout pages, it identifies coupon-code input text boxes by analyzing the structure of the page's document object model and the proximity of elements. The system also parses the coupons to extract product terms, which involves obtaining terms, selecting a subset, and checking if these terms match known brands in a database. It then searches for these product terms. Crucially, the method automatically tests the obtained coupons against products associated with the extracted product terms. This testing is performed concurrently by multiple computer processes. Each process requests the merchant's website to apply coupons to products. Some coupons are tested against multiple products on the same website. Finally, the system determines if the coupons are applicable based on the merchant websites' responses and stores the results.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein searching comprises searching a different website from the merchants' websites by querying a search engine a given product term with a query that restricts the search results to results corresponding to at least one of the merchants' websites.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein testing distinguishes products for which coupons are valid from products for which those coupons are invalid, the at least some results indicate which third-party online coupons are valid for which products, the coupon-testing computer-processes are computer robots, and the computer robots are configured to automatically test coupon validity.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the testing step, multiple times, in parallel for multiple products on a given merchants' website related to a given product term.
This invention relates to automated testing of e-commerce websites to identify and resolve issues related to product search and display. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and inaccuracy of manually testing merchant websites for product availability, pricing, and other attributes, which can lead to missed sales opportunities and poor user experience. The method involves automatically testing a merchant's website by submitting a product term to the site's search function and analyzing the results. The testing includes verifying the presence or absence of expected products, checking product attributes such as price and availability, and comparing the results against predefined criteria. The system can also simulate user interactions, such as adding products to a cart or proceeding to checkout, to ensure the entire purchase flow functions correctly. A key feature is the ability to perform these tests in parallel for multiple products on a given merchant's website. This allows for rapid, large-scale validation of product listings and search functionality, ensuring consistency and accuracy across different product categories. The parallel testing capability reduces the time required to identify and resolve issues, improving the efficiency of e-commerce operations. The system can be integrated with existing merchant platforms to automate testing workflows and provide real-time feedback on product search performance.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein parsing the third-party online coupon to determine a product term comprises performing steps for parsing a coupon for a product term.
This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for processing third-party online coupons to extract product terms. The method addresses the challenge of accurately identifying and parsing product-specific information from digital coupons, which often contain unstructured or inconsistent data formats. The system first receives a third-party online coupon, which may include text, images, or other digital representations of promotional offers. The method then parses the coupon to determine a product term, which involves analyzing the coupon's content to extract keywords, phrases, or identifiers that specify the product eligible for the discount. This parsing step may include natural language processing, optical character recognition (OCR), or pattern-matching techniques to interpret the coupon's structure and extract relevant product information. The extracted product term is then used to associate the coupon with the correct product in a database, ensuring accurate application of discounts during transactions. The method improves coupon processing efficiency by automating the extraction of product-specific details, reducing manual intervention and errors in discount application. This approach is particularly useful in e-commerce platforms where coupons must be quickly and accurately validated against product catalogs.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the different coupon-testing computer-processes are configured to test the products against the coupons on the merchants' websites without loading images from the merchants' websites.
This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for testing product promotions, specifically coupon testing on merchant websites. The method addresses the challenge of efficiently verifying coupon applicability without excessive resource consumption, such as loading unnecessary images from merchant sites. The system employs multiple distinct coupon-testing processes, each configured to evaluate product promotions against available coupons. At least some of these processes operate without loading images from the merchants' websites, reducing bandwidth usage and processing time. The method ensures accurate coupon validation while optimizing performance by avoiding image retrieval, which is often unnecessary for coupon functionality checks. This approach improves efficiency in promotional testing systems by focusing on essential data rather than visual elements. The invention is particularly useful in automated coupon verification systems where minimizing resource overhead is critical. By separating image loading from coupon testing, the method enhances scalability and speed in large-scale promotional validation environments.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising classifying a response to a third-party online coupon by receiving results from the different coupon-testing computer-processes testing a given third-party online coupon against a plurality of different products on a given merchant's web site and then detecting a pattern of validated versus invalidated coupons.
This invention relates to online coupon validation and classification in e-commerce systems. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and inaccuracy of determining which third-party online coupons are valid for specific products on a merchant's website. The solution involves a computer-implemented method that tests a given third-party coupon against multiple products on a merchant's site using different coupon-testing processes. The method then analyzes the results to detect patterns in validated versus invalidated coupons, allowing for classification of the coupon's applicability. This classification helps users and systems identify which coupons are likely to work for specific products, improving the efficiency of online shopping and coupon usage. The method may also involve generating a confidence score for the coupon's validity based on the detected patterns, further refining the classification process. The approach leverages automated testing and pattern recognition to streamline coupon validation, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy in e-commerce transactions.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising commanding some of the coupon-testing computer-processes to cease after a given coupon-testing computer-process successfully uses a commonly assigned coupon.
A computer-implemented method for optimizing coupon usage in a distributed testing system involves managing multiple coupon-testing processes to reduce redundant testing. The system assigns coupons to different computer processes, each testing the validity or applicability of a coupon in a transaction. To improve efficiency, the method includes monitoring the coupon-testing processes and commanding some of them to stop once a coupon has been successfully used by any process sharing the same coupon. This prevents unnecessary testing of the same coupon by multiple processes, conserving computational resources and reducing redundant operations. The method ensures that only one process completes the coupon validation for a given coupon, while others assigned to the same coupon terminate early. This approach is particularly useful in high-volume transaction systems where multiple processes may attempt to validate the same coupon simultaneously, leading to inefficiencies. The system dynamically adjusts the testing workload based on real-time success events, optimizing performance without requiring manual intervention. The method may also include tracking coupon assignments and success events to coordinate the termination of redundant processes efficiently.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying for which of the products a given coupon is valid at a given merchants' website, and detecting free shipping or determining a change in price associated with a given one of the third-party online coupons, wherein at least some of the coupons are tested by virtual machines, and wherein products to be tested for another given coupon are selected by determining a likelihood that the another given coupon covers the selected products based on text in the another given coupon.
This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for identifying and validating online coupons in an e-commerce environment. The method addresses the problem of determining coupon validity, detecting price changes, and identifying free shipping offers across multiple merchant websites. The system uses virtual machines to test coupons, simulating real-world application to verify their effectiveness. For each coupon, the method identifies which products it applies to at a given merchant's website. It also detects free shipping offers or calculates price changes associated with third-party coupons. The method selects products to test with a given coupon by analyzing the coupon's text to determine the likelihood that the coupon covers those products. This ensures efficient testing by focusing on relevant items. The system dynamically evaluates coupon applicability, improving accuracy and reducing manual effort in coupon validation. The use of virtual machines allows for scalable and automated testing across different merchants and product categories. This approach enhances the reliability of coupon information for consumers and merchants, ensuring that discounts and promotions are correctly applied.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising validating more than a hundred thousand coupons.
A system and method for high-volume coupon validation processes large-scale coupon transactions efficiently. The method involves receiving coupon data from multiple sources, such as retailers, manufacturers, or digital platforms, and processing this data to validate the authenticity and eligibility of each coupon. The system checks for expiration dates, redemption limits, geographic restrictions, and other conditions to ensure compliance with coupon terms. It also cross-references coupon databases to detect fraud or duplicate submissions. The method supports real-time validation for instant redemption at point-of-sale systems and batch processing for bulk validation of stored coupons. The system can handle over a hundred thousand coupons simultaneously, ensuring fast and accurate validation even during peak usage periods. The method integrates with existing payment and inventory systems to streamline redemption workflows and reduce processing delays. By automating validation, the system minimizes manual errors and improves transaction speed, benefiting both retailers and consumers. The method also includes fraud detection algorithms to identify suspicious patterns, such as repeated invalid submissions or unauthorized coupon usage. The system may generate reports on validation results, redemption trends, and fraud attempts to help businesses optimize coupon strategies. The method ensures secure data handling, protecting sensitive coupon and transaction information throughout the validation process.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the proximity is proximity to button interaction elements of the document object models of the checkout pages.
This invention relates to improving user interaction with digital checkout processes, particularly by optimizing the placement of interactive elements in checkout pages. The method involves analyzing the document object models (DOMs) of checkout pages to determine the proximity of user interactions to button elements, such as "Add to Cart" or "Proceed to Payment" buttons. By assessing how close user actions (e.g., clicks, hovers) are to these interactive elements, the system can dynamically adjust the layout or functionality of the checkout interface to enhance usability and reduce friction in the purchasing process. This may include repositioning buttons, modifying their size, or altering their behavior based on detected interaction patterns. The goal is to streamline the checkout experience by ensuring that critical interactive elements are easily accessible and responsive to user actions, thereby increasing conversion rates and reducing cart abandonment. The method leverages DOM analysis to dynamically adapt the interface in real-time, improving efficiency and user satisfaction during online transactions.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: proximity is determined based on union of two nodes in graph structures specifying relationships between webpage elements of checkout pages.
This invention relates to analyzing webpage elements of checkout pages using graph structures to determine proximity between elements. The method involves constructing graph representations of webpage elements, where nodes represent elements and edges represent relationships between them. Proximity between two elements is determined by analyzing the union of their corresponding nodes in the graph, which captures their positional and relational context within the checkout page. The technique helps identify semantically or functionally related elements, such as form fields, buttons, or payment options, by evaluating their connectivity and shared relationships in the graph. This approach improves the accuracy of element grouping, layout analysis, and user interaction prediction in e-commerce checkout processes. The method can be applied to optimize checkout flows, detect usability issues, or enhance automated testing of checkout pages by leveraging the structural relationships between elements. The graph-based proximity analysis provides a more robust alternative to traditional distance-based or pixel-based measurements, as it accounts for hierarchical and logical relationships between elements.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein: proximity is determined based on document-object-model proximity and is independent of layout.
This invention relates to computer-implemented methods for determining proximity between elements in a document, particularly in web-based or digital document environments. The core problem addressed is accurately assessing the spatial or logical relationship between elements without relying on visual layout, which can vary across devices or rendering engines. The method determines proximity based on the Document Object Model (DOM), a structured representation of a document's content and hierarchy, rather than visual positioning. By analyzing the DOM tree, the method identifies relationships between elements based on their hierarchical structure, parent-child relationships, or sibling positions, ensuring consistency regardless of how the document is displayed. This approach is useful for tasks like accessibility analysis, automated testing, or content extraction, where layout-independent proximity is critical. The method may also involve comparing DOM paths, node depths, or other structural attributes to quantify proximity. By decoupling proximity from visual rendering, the technique provides a more reliable and consistent way to assess element relationships in dynamic or responsive documents.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein automated testing of coupons is performed with a browser having a browser extension processing information about third-party online coupons.
This invention relates to automated testing of online coupons using a browser extension. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and manual effort required to verify the validity and applicability of third-party online coupons before use. The solution involves a browser extension that processes information about third-party coupons, enabling automated testing to determine their effectiveness. The extension interacts with the browser to apply coupons during online transactions, monitor the results, and verify whether the coupon successfully reduces the total cost or provides the intended discount. The automated testing process includes capturing coupon data, applying it to a transaction, and analyzing the outcome to confirm the coupon's functionality. This method reduces the need for manual testing, improves accuracy, and ensures that only valid coupons are used, enhancing the efficiency of online shopping and coupon redemption. The system may also track coupon performance metrics, such as success rates and expiration dates, to optimize future coupon usage. The browser extension operates in the background, seamlessly integrating with the user's browsing experience to streamline the coupon verification process.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising: reporting an indication of the results to a coupon validation server configured to dispatch coupons for testing.
A computer-implemented method for validating and distributing coupons involves a system that processes coupon data to determine their validity and effectiveness. The method includes analyzing coupon attributes, such as expiration dates, redemption conditions, and promotional rules, to assess whether the coupons meet predefined criteria. This analysis may involve comparing the coupon data against a database of valid offers or applying algorithmic checks to detect fraudulent or expired coupons. Once validated, the method reports the results to a coupon validation server, which is responsible for distributing the coupons for further testing. The server may then dispatch the validated coupons to test environments or end-users to verify their functionality and compliance with promotional campaigns. This process ensures that only legitimate and effective coupons are distributed, reducing fraud and improving the accuracy of promotional tracking. The system may also log validation outcomes for auditing and optimization purposes.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: determining whether the third-party online coupons apply to at least some of the products is performed by virtual machines.
This invention relates to a system for processing online coupons in an e-commerce environment. The problem addressed is the inefficiency and complexity of determining whether third-party coupons are valid for specific products in an online shopping system. The solution involves using virtual machines to evaluate the applicability of these coupons to products listed in a shopping cart or catalog. The method includes receiving a request to apply third-party coupons to products in an online shopping system. The system then determines whether the coupons are valid for at least some of the products. This determination is performed by virtual machines, which are isolated computing environments that can efficiently process coupon rules and product eligibility without interfering with the main e-commerce platform. The virtual machines may also validate coupon terms, such as expiration dates or usage limits, and apply the discounts to eligible products. The results are then returned to the user, showing which coupons were successfully applied and the adjusted product prices. This approach improves coupon processing efficiency by offloading the task to virtual machines, reducing the load on the primary e-commerce system and ensuring faster, more reliable coupon validation. The use of virtual machines also enhances security and scalability, as each coupon evaluation can be handled independently in an isolated environment. The system may further include additional steps, such as generating reports on coupon usage or updating inventory based on coupon redemptions.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: selecting the subset of the plurality of terms comprises selecting a subset of natural language text terms with steps for parsing a coupon for product terms; the product terms identify merchants at which the coupons are redeemable; and the third-party online coupons are obtained from an application program interface of an affiliate program.
This invention relates to a computer-implemented method for processing and selecting online coupons, particularly focusing on extracting and utilizing product terms from coupon data. The method addresses the challenge of efficiently identifying and categorizing coupons based on merchant-specific product terms, enabling targeted coupon distribution and redemption. The method involves parsing coupon data to extract product terms, which are used to identify merchants where the coupons can be redeemed. These product terms are selected from a broader set of natural language text terms associated with the coupons. The coupons themselves are obtained from an affiliate program's application programming interface (API), ensuring real-time access to up-to-date promotional offers. By analyzing the product terms, the system can determine the relevant merchants and optimize coupon distribution, improving user experience and increasing redemption rates. The method leverages natural language processing to accurately interpret and categorize coupon data, ensuring that users receive the most relevant offers. This approach enhances the efficiency of affiliate marketing programs by streamlining coupon management and improving targeting accuracy.
18. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions that when executed cause one or more computers to effectuate operations comprising: obtaining, with one or more computers, more than a plurality of third-party online coupons; parsing text to determine merchants' web sites; detecting coupon-code input text boxes of checkout pages of at least some of the merchants' websites by: looking up previously specified characterizations of paths through respective merchants' websites in response to navigating to respective merchants' web sites; detecting checkout pages by, for each of a plurality of webpages of respective merchants' websites, determining whether respective webpages are checkout pages based on the previously specified characterization of paths through the respective merchants' websites; and detecting coupon-code input text boxes in the checkout pages by, for each of a plurality of elements of document object models of respective checkout pages, determining whether elements are coupon-code input text boxes based on proximity to other elements of the document object models; parsing at least some of the third-party online coupons to determine product terms, wherein determining product terms comprises: obtaining a plurality of terms describing a first coupon among the plurality of third-party online coupons, selecting a subset of the plurality of terms, and determining which terms of the subset of plurality of terms occur in a database of brands; searching, with one or more computers, for the product terms; using the coupon-code input text boxes, automatically testing, with one or more computers, the third-party online coupons with products associated with the product terms and identified in response to searching for the product terms, wherein: different coupon-testing computer-processes are configured to test at least some of the different subsets concurrent with the other coupon-testing computer-processes by requesting at least some of the merchants' websites to apply at least some of the third-party coupons to at least some of the products, and at least some third-party coupons are each separately tested against multiple products on a given merchant's web site; and determining, with one or more computers, whether the third-party online coupons apply to at least some of the products based on responses from the merchants' websites and storing at least some results in memory.
The invention relates to automated coupon validation and testing for e-commerce transactions. It addresses the challenge of efficiently verifying the applicability of third-party online coupons across multiple merchants' websites, particularly during the checkout process. The system obtains a collection of third-party coupons and parses their text to identify associated product terms by cross-referencing them with a database of known brands. It then navigates to merchants' websites using predefined path characterizations to locate checkout pages, where it detects coupon-code input fields by analyzing document object models and element proximity. The system searches for products matching the coupon terms and automatically tests the coupons by submitting them to the merchants' checkout systems. Multiple coupon-testing processes operate concurrently, allowing different coupons to be tested against various products on the same or different merchant sites. The system evaluates the merchants' responses to determine coupon applicability and stores the results. This approach streamlines coupon validation, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy in determining which coupons work for specific products.
19. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein searching comprises searching a different web site from the merchants' web sites by querying a search engine with a query that restricts the search results to results corresponding to at least one of the merchants' websites.
20. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein the operations comprise: obtaining the previously specified characterizations of paths by spidering at least some of the merchants' websites and selecting routes based on steps for determining preferred routes through the merchants' websites.
This invention relates to automated navigation and route selection within merchants' websites to improve user experience and efficiency. The problem addressed is the difficulty users face in navigating complex e-commerce websites to find desired products or complete transactions, often requiring multiple steps or redundant interactions. The solution involves a system that characterizes and analyzes paths through merchants' websites to determine preferred routes for users. The system obtains these characterizations by spidering, or systematically crawling, the merchants' websites to map out available paths and interactions. Based on this data, the system selects optimal routes by evaluating steps such as page transitions, user inputs, and transaction flows. The preferred routes are then used to guide users more efficiently through the website, reducing unnecessary steps and improving navigation. The invention may also include additional features such as dynamic adjustments to routes based on real-time user behavior or website updates, ensuring the system remains effective over time. The goal is to streamline the user journey, particularly in e-commerce, by leveraging automated path analysis and route optimization.
21. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein parsing the third-party online coupon to determine a product term comprises performing steps for parsing a coupon for a product term, and, wherein at least some of the different coupon-testing computer-processes are configured to test the products against the coupons on the merchants' websites without loading images from the merchants' websites.
This invention relates to a system for processing and validating online coupons, particularly for determining product terms within third-party coupons and testing their applicability on merchant websites. The system addresses the challenge of efficiently parsing and verifying coupon terms without excessive resource consumption, such as loading unnecessary images from merchant sites. The system includes a parsing module that extracts product terms from third-party coupons by analyzing the coupon content. This parsing process involves identifying specific product-related keywords or identifiers within the coupon data. Additionally, the system employs multiple coupon-testing processes that operate independently to validate the parsed product terms against available products on merchant websites. These processes are designed to test the coupons without loading images from the merchants' sites, thereby reducing bandwidth usage and processing overhead. The system ensures that coupon validation is performed efficiently by distributing the testing tasks across different processes, allowing for parallel validation of multiple coupons or products. This approach optimizes performance and minimizes the computational resources required for coupon verification. The invention is particularly useful in e-commerce environments where rapid and accurate coupon validation is essential for enhancing user experience and operational efficiency.
22. The one or more media of claim 18 , the operations further comprising classifying a response to a third-party online coupon by receiving results from the different coupon-testing computer-processes testing a given third-party online coupon against a plurality of different products on a given merchant's website and then detecting a pattern of validated versus invalidated coupons.
This describes machine-readable media storing instructions for a system that processes third-party online coupons. The system first obtains many coupons and extracts merchant websites from their text. It then identifies coupon code input boxes on the checkout pages of these merchant websites. This is done by navigating pre-characterized paths on the sites to detect checkout pages, and then finding input boxes based on their proximity to other elements in the page's structure (DOM). The system also parses the coupons to find product-related terms, by selecting keywords and checking them against a brand database. It then searches for products matching these terms. Using the detected input boxes, the system automatically tests the coupons against the identified products. This testing happens concurrently across different processes, with each coupon potentially tested against multiple products on a single merchant site. Finally, it determines if the coupons apply based on merchant responses and stores these results. Additionally, the system classifies the overall response for a specific coupon by analyzing the results received from testing that coupon against various products on a given merchant's website, detecting patterns of which tests resulted in validation versus invalidation.
23. The one or more media of claim 18 , the operations further comprising commanding some of the coupon-testing computer-processes to cease after a given coupon-testing computer-process successfully uses a commonly assigned coupon.
This invention relates to coupon testing systems in digital advertising or e-commerce platforms. The problem addressed is inefficient coupon distribution, where multiple computer processes may simultaneously test the same coupon, leading to redundant testing and wasted computational resources. The invention improves coupon testing by coordinating computer processes to avoid redundant testing of the same coupon. When one computer process successfully uses a coupon, other processes assigned to the same coupon are commanded to cease their testing operations. This reduces unnecessary computational load and improves system efficiency. The system involves multiple computer processes that test coupons by applying them to transactions or interactions within a digital platform. The processes are assigned coupons, and upon successful use of a coupon by one process, a command is issued to terminate other processes testing the same coupon. This ensures that only one process completes the testing for a given coupon, preventing redundant operations. The invention optimizes coupon validation and distribution, enhancing system performance and resource utilization.
24. The one or more media of claim 18 , the operations comprising validating more than a hundred thousand coupons.
A system and method for high-volume coupon validation processes digital coupons at scale, addressing inefficiencies in traditional validation systems that struggle with large datasets. The system processes and validates over one hundred thousand coupons, ensuring accuracy and speed in redemption verification. Coupons may include digital or physical representations, and validation involves checking expiration dates, redemption limits, and other eligibility criteria. The system integrates with point-of-sale (POS) systems, mobile applications, or online platforms to streamline the validation process. It may also include fraud detection mechanisms to identify invalid or duplicate coupons. The system is designed to handle high transaction volumes without performance degradation, making it suitable for retail, e-commerce, or loyalty program applications. The validation process may involve real-time or batch processing, depending on system requirements. The system ensures secure and efficient coupon redemption while minimizing manual intervention.
25. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein the proximity is proximity to button interaction elements of the document object models of the checkout pages.
26. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein: proximity is determined based on a union of two nodes in graph structures specifying relationships between webpage elements of checkout pages.
This invention relates to analyzing webpage elements of checkout pages using graph structures to determine proximity between elements. The problem addressed is the need to accurately assess relationships between elements in checkout pages, which is critical for optimizing user experience, fraud detection, and automated testing. The solution involves constructing graph structures where nodes represent webpage elements and edges represent relationships between them. Proximity between elements is determined by analyzing the union of two nodes in these graph structures, allowing for a precise measurement of their spatial or functional relationship. This approach improves upon traditional methods by leveraging graph-based analysis to capture complex interactions between elements, such as form fields, buttons, and payment options. The invention can be applied in e-commerce platforms, automated testing tools, and fraud detection systems to enhance accuracy and efficiency. The graph structures may include various types of relationships, such as hierarchical, spatial, or functional dependencies, enabling a comprehensive understanding of how elements interact within checkout pages. By determining proximity based on these relationships, the system can identify critical elements, detect anomalies, and optimize the checkout process.
27. The one or more media of claim 26 , wherein: proximity is determined based on document-object-model proximity and is independent of layout.
28. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein automated testing of coupons is performed with a browser having a browser extension processing information about third-party online coupons.
29. The one or more media of claim 18 , the operations comprising: reporting an indication of the results to a coupon validation server configured to dispatch coupons for testing.
This invention relates to a system for validating and distributing coupons, particularly in a testing or experimental context. The system involves a media-based process where a device or system performs operations to report validation results to a coupon validation server. The server is responsible for dispatching coupons for testing purposes, ensuring that only valid or authorized coupons are distributed. The operations may include verifying coupon authenticity, checking eligibility criteria, or confirming redemption status before reporting the results to the server. The server then uses these results to manage coupon distribution, track usage, or adjust testing parameters. This system is useful in scenarios where coupons are used for marketing, promotions, or experimental campaigns, ensuring that only legitimate coupons are processed and distributed. The media-based approach allows for flexible deployment across different platforms or devices, enabling seamless integration with existing coupon validation workflows. The invention improves coupon management by automating validation and reporting, reducing manual errors, and enhancing the efficiency of coupon distribution in testing environments.
30. The one or more media of claim 18 , wherein: determining whether the third-party online coupons apply to at least some of the products is performed by virtual machines.
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February 16, 2021
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